Obama Slammed for ‘Libya Lies’

US papers take Obama to task for “lies” on Libya, say anti-Islam video was a red herring.

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Maayana Miskin, 28/09/12 12:01

Fire near U.S. consulate in Benghazi

AFP/File

The United States media is increasingly criticizing U.S. President Barack Obama for his statements regarding the mob attack in Benghazi, Libya, in which four Americans were killed, including the ambassador. An editorial printed Thursday by the Washington Examiner accuses Obama of lying to cover the true motive of the attack.

The Obama administration’s own statements “clearly demonstrate Obama has been lying about the incident for political gain from day one,” writes Conn Carroll.

Carroll pointed to a timeline of statements published by the Washington Post. The Post called the statements “a case study of how an administration can carefully keep the focus as long as possible on one storyline – and then turn on a dime when it is no longer tenable.”

“For political reasons, it certainly was in the White House’s interests to not portray the attack as a terrorist incident, especially one that took place on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks,” the Post report noted. “Instead the administration kept the focus on what was ultimately a red herring — anger in the Arab world over anti-Muslim video posted on You Tube.”

The Wall Street Journal joined the criticism as well. An article titled “The Libya Debacle” noted, “None of the initial explanations offered by the White House and State Department since the assault on the Benghazi consulate has held up.”

“Four Americans lost their lives in Benghazi in a terrorist attack that evidence suggests should have been anticipated and might have been stopped. Rather than accept responsibility, the Administration has tried to stonewall and blame others,” it accused.

The Obama administration initially said the attack was sparked by Muslim outrage over an amateur anti-Islam film, the trailer for which had been posted on YouTube. UN Ambassador Susan Rice termed the assault “a spontaneous reaction… as a consequence of the video.”

While several senior officials in the Obama Administration, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have since termed the Benghazi slayings terrorism, Obama has avoided the term. On Monday he said the attack "wasn't just a mob action."

In his UN address Tuesday, Obama referred to “a crude and disgusting video” which, he said, “sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world,” a statement taken by many to imply a link between the YouTube trailer and the Benghazi assault.